For the new owners of the 30-year-old tackle shop Hook, Line & Sinker, fishing goes far beyond a business. It’s a way of life.

“I would be holding my daughter, who was about 6 months old, and holding the rod with a fish on it with her turning the handle,” said Capt. David Bacon, new owner of Hook, Line & Sinker. “I started her the same way my dad started me, so I’ve been pretty much fishing all my life.”

The founder of WaveWalker Charters and Noozhawk columnist took over the tackle shop at 4010 Calle Real in Santa Barbara in July.

“It’s a perfect combination,” Bacon said. “This is where I’ve built a good reputation, so many of my customers have known me for a great long time. The store remains viable because it is run by someone who understands all this stuff and how to use it.”

Bacon’s daughter, expert fisherwoman Capt. Tiffany Vague, helps him run the business, just as the daughters did of past owners Yong Shin and Bill Cedar.

“You have this long tradition of fathers and daughters and true expert women in fishing, people seem to appreciate that,” said Bacon, who described Shin as a beloved staple of the fishing community who served it faithfully for 22 years.

Since taking over the business, Bacon has expanded its stock and increased the store hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. The store caters to all types of fishermen — from novice to expert and fresh to saltwater.

“We don’t sell anything that we don’t believe in,” Hook, Line & Sinker volunteer Lee Hatler said. “We’ve tried everything in here.”

Although fishing may be in Bacon’s blood, the 30-year Santa Barbara resident ran computer centers throughout Southern California for the majority of his life. He would work 14-hour days that he described as “deadly.”

“I needed nature because I was going to die, it was going to kill me,” Bacon said. “I needed that balance back in nature. It was more like a great relief (when I quit) because I was getting back to nature. It was back to my childhood.”

That gave Bacon time to get his captain’s license, run his chartering service, develop his nonprofit SOFTIN (Seafaring Opportunities for Those in Need), which helps special-needs children experience the joys of fishing, and focus on his nationally syndicated writing.

At the helm of a new business venture, Bacon said he strives to provide the expertise and friendly community the locals have come to expect from Hook, Line & Sinker.

“I was walking on a beach along the Mesa, and there was a guy fishing who was pulling in one fish after another and I asked him how do I get educated and learn this,” said customer Tim Young, who founded HyperSolar. “He sent me here.”

While some businesses stress the bottom line, Bacon said he doesn’t need to rely on a paycheck for motivation.

“No one gets rich in this industry. … This is something that brings me such sheer joy to hang around with my friends and what I know,” he said. “It’s a lifestyle. Fishing is my passion … fishing is my business, and business is good.”

— Noozhawk business writer Alex Kacik can be reached at akacik@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.